(Lewiston, ID) Lewis-Clark State College Men’s Tennis will kick off the spring portion of its schedule on Saturday in Moscow against NCAA Division I Idaho. Head Coach Kai Fong enters his 37th year as the leader of the Warrior Tennis program in 2025.
Along with roster updates and a changing schedule, one of the biggest differences for Warrior Tennis this season can be found on the sideline. Bonolo Molefe will make her return to Lewiston as the program’s assistant coach. The reigning Warrior of the Year is poised to make an impact helping lead the program that gave her so much.
“Bonolo is a very suitable addition to the staff,” Fong said. “It may be her first season in the coaching realm, but she is very familiar with the program as someone who went through the ranks with her strong work ethic and conviction to excel. She certainly has gone through the wringer with me as a student-athlete and Tennis Center staff member. She understands the rigor and the demands of the programs. It will just be a short transition period in the first month. As a coach, I am very blessed to have the supporting cast of players, staff members and community backing to tennis in the LC Valley.”
THE ROSTER
The 2025 Warrior roster features seven returners and four newcomers. LC State will have three seniors leading the squad in Alvaro Camino, Austin Gomez and Austin Swing. Sophomores Rafael Bonnet de Larbogne and Nell Rollin also saw a large amount of playing time last season. Junior Juan Pablo Naranjo will look to make a big impact this season on the court as well. Senior Cornelius Sia competed in the fall before graduating at the end of the semester.
“Returners form the backbone of our programs. They keep us upright,” Fong said. “They maintain our posture in everyday activities. They are the calm before the storm. They can help right the sails. One of the stalwarts of the men’s team is Austin Swing. What a consistent performer on the courts, in the classroom, and work. Junior JP Naranjo is poised to make a break through, while sophomores Nell Rollin and Rafael Bonnet, the ‘New Cals,’ will add much to the experience.”
Gomez, a Lewiston native, returns from injury this season while Camino will also look to step into a key role. Freshmen Pablo Herrera, Giacomo Moreira and Gautam Balakrishnan all impressed in the fall and will factor into the lineup for the Warriors.
“Senior Austin Gomez has worked hard to overcome his injuries and could be tabbed ‘Comeback Kid of the Decade,” Fong explained. “Fellow senior Alvaro Camino has all the makings to be a strong contender. The freshmen group of men made a prominent mark in the fall semester. Pablo Herrera, Giacomo Moreira and Gautam Balakrishnan are going to see starting action of they continue to excel this season.”
THE SCHEDULE
LC State competed in a pair of matches in the fall with the University of Alberta out of Canada and split the weekend. The Warriors enter the main part of the season with a 1-1 record.
“Fall matches are always a great benefit to provide the freshmen especially with a taste of college atmosphere at matches,” Fong said. “In this instance, we played on back-to-back days so that was even better for the group to understand the nature of sustaining competition on consecutive days.”
The Warrior men went 8-2 against NCAA Division III competition last year and 4-8 in NAIA competition. Schools such as Whitman and Whitworth have been mainstays in the LC State schedule but will be less frequent moving forward. Because of this, the Warriors will have to travel more often to find matches with NAIA schools. For the men, the closest NAIA programs are in California and Arizona, while the independent conference the LC State men belong to is based in Texas.
“Most, if not all, of the DIII schools in the region used to be NAIA institutions,” Fong explained. “The Northwest Conference chose to have a double round robin format starting this season which crippled their open date availability for schools of their choosing. It has been and still is a vital part of our schedule to schedule the DIIIs and JuCos. We are constantly adjusting where we can find competitive experiences.”
LC State will host DI schools Montana and Eastern Washington, as well as DIII programs Whitworth and Whitman. Contests against junior colleges out of the NWAC do not count towards the Warriors’ season record but do count toward individual records.
“Due to the changing landscape of NAIA schools across the country, we have to seek NAIA opponents in the more metropolitan areas,” Fong added. “The travel experience provides the opportunity to perform on the road. You can call us the Road Warriors.”
The ‘Road Warriors’ will travel to Arizona, Texas, Louisiana and Alabama during the regular season before the NAIA Unaffiliated Group tournament in Texas in April.
